Discover Puerto Varas on Llanquihue’s Southwestern Shore

North of Puerto Montt, picturesque Puerto Varas appeals to conventional tourists who loll on Lago Llanquihue’s beaches, admire its century-old mansions, sup in some of Chile’s best restaurants, and follow the bus-boat crossing to the Argentine resort of Bariloche. Increasing numbers of more adventurous visitors also appreciate the nearby Río Petrohué’s white-water rafting, Volcán Osorno’s snow-clad slopes, Cochamó’s wild backcountry, and other outdoor attractions. Varas’s architectural heritage, stemming from its German colonization as a 19th-century lake port, lends it its character.To the southeast, beyond Cochamó, a bridge over the Río Puelo also provides an alternative route to Hornopirén and the Carretera Austral.

Varas’s architectural heritage, stemming from its German colonization as a 19th-century lake port, lends it its character. A recent building boom has resulted in nondescript housing developments on the outskirts, but it’s also brought more stylish infill downtown; many visitors prefer Varas to nearby Puerto Montt, and not just as a base for excursions.

Puerto Varas

Orientation

On Llanquihue’s southwestern shore, Puerto Varas (population about 30,000) is 996 kilometers south of Santiago, 20 kilometers north of Puerto Montt, and a short distance east of Ruta 5, the Panamericana. The boundaries of its compact central grid are the lakeshore to the east, Diego Portales to the north, San Bernardo to the west, and Del Salvador to the south. On all sides except the shoreline, hills rise steeply toward quiet residential neighborhoods that include many places to stay.

From the corner of Del Salvador, the Costanera becomes paved Ruta 225 to the village of Ensenada, the lakeport of Petrohué in Parque Nacional Vicente Pérez Rosales, and toward the Cochamó backcountry.

Puerto Varas Historic District

Other than the lake and its inspiring views toward Volcán Osorno, Varas’s main attraction is its Germanic colonial architecture. The most imposing single structure is the 1915 Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón (corner of San Francisco and María Brunn), a national monument whose steeple soars above the town. When lit at night, it’s best seen from the corner of Imperial and Santa Rosa.

For some years after the Santiago–Puerto Montt railroad closed, the former Estación del Ferrocarril (Klenner s/n) sat empty, but it’s been revamped into the Centro Cultural Estación, a gallery and events center. After a brief revival, rail service is once again suspended, but work is underway on the tracks and sleepers.

Informatur (San José and Santa Rosa, tel. 065/338542), sponsored by an alliance of various service operators, keeps a selective accommodations database.

Services

Afex (San Pedro 414, tel. 065/232377) is the local exchange house; TravelSur (San Pedro 451, tel./fax 065/236000) is a general travel agency that also changes money. BancoEstado (Santa Rosa 414) does not impose a service charge on ATM transactions.

Correos de Chile (San José 242) is the post office. There are numerous downtown phone and cyber outlets, such as Internet@Internet (Del Salvador 264, Local 102).